Tears clouded my eyes as I stood in our washing room, holding Brett’s jeans and full of burn holes.

Tired and defeated, I   31   to the floor. The clothes were just one more thing Brett had 32   . He often got almost everything in the house out of    33   . Many windows in our house needed repair due to his breaking   34   to steal money when he chose to live on the street. Yet none of this could compare to the emotional   35     Brett had done to our once quiet home.

Brett came to live with us when he was 12 years old. During the next few years I had dealt with Brett a   36   as possible, but inside I was shouting. “I don’t want him in my house another day, Lord! I just can’t   37   him!” Having wiped my tears, I continued   38   him as before.

When Brett was nearly 18, he landed again in Juvenile Hall(少管所). After that, my husband and I had to send Brett to a boarding school for helping   39   teens.

At the   40   ceremony, each graduate held a white rose to give to the person who had   41   the most to him or her. Brett spoke   42   to his parents and then spoke to me, “You did so much. You were always there, no matter   43   . My mom and dad, I was their kid. But you,   44    troubled enough by me, always   45   me such love. And I want you to know I love you for it.”

  46   , I stood as Brett placed the white rose in my hand and hugged me   47   .

At that moment, tears   48   in my eyes again, this time not for disappointment but for   49  . Although I had struggled with silent   50   toward my stepson, Brett had seen only my actions. Love is action. We may not always have positive feelings about certain people in our lives, but we can love them.

1. A. sat           B. sank         C. bent                 D. dropped

2.A. ruined     B. lost             C. torn                 D. broken

3.A. danger     B. place        C. trouble              D. order

4. A. off           B. in               C. up                   D. away

5. A. pain          B. injury           C. damage           D. harm

6.A. patiently      B. willingly        C. strictly         D. rudely

7. A. forgive       B. educate          C. stand            D. control

8.A. parenting      B. pardoning   C. comforting       D. feeding

9. A. lazy          B. troublesome      C. disappointing D. careless

10. A. opening      B. official         C. victory          D. graduation

11.A. afforded      B. meant        C. supplied             D. owed

12.A. lovingly      B. sadly        C. proudly              D. nervously

13. A. where   B. how              C. what             D. who

14.A. unless   B. although         C. because              D. when

15.A. cost          B. lent             C. taught               D. showed

16.A. Astonished   B. Puzzled           C. Encouraged       D. Interested

17. A. surely       B. roughly          C. tightly          D. fiercely

18.A. fell          B. flowed           C. moved            D. gathered

19.A. pity          B. happiness      C. luck              D. success

20.A. love          B. anxiety          C. anger            D. car